It’s OK to be me
both the good and the bad
I’m unique in the eyes of the world.
No longer a child living with parents
I’m free from the ties that blind.
They meant no harm
doing their best
not realizing the hurt
slowly filling the heart.
Don’t run, be quiet
you’re to be seen, not heard
the familiar commands from Dad.
Behind it all, there was really love
just blinded by the old hard ways.
No prison bars exist
no cold cell surrounds
only roadblocks set in the mind.
They are melting away
as I begin to learn
it’s really OK to be me.

Poetry & Art by Patricia Walter 1998 ©